Will the Obama running-mate announcement come this week?

posted at 11:30 am on August 18, 2008 by Ed Morrissey

Politico and ABC both note that Barack Obama’s schedule, as well as the rapidly-declining number of days to the Democratic convention, point to a VP announcement sometime this week. Obama has some time open at the end of the week, giving him the ability to shift suddenly to his running-mate’s home turf for the unveiling of his choice. On the other hand, with Obama traveling through New Mexico today and Virginia on Wednesday and Thursday, Obama may already be in position when the time comes:

Barack Obama is expected to choose his running mate this week in a key decision about the direction and narrative of his bid for the White House.

A person familiar with the campaign’s planning noted that Obama’s schedule at the end of this week is open, but said the announcement could come “as late as the weekend.”

As for Obama’s announced schedule, it could favor either Bill Richardson or Tim Kaine. ABC notes that Team Obama suddenly decided to invest some time in videotaping a Kaine event:

The schedule drives the early-week speculation: “On Monday, Sen. Obama plans to hold a town-hall style event in Gov. [Bill] Richardson’s home state [of New Mexico]. On Wednesday he will campaign in Virginia, the home of Gov. Tim Kaine, another shortlister.”

Virginia gets a second day of Obama time, too, on Thursday: “Kaine spent 20 minutes huddled in a backroom, where he said he was ‘filming a little thing’ for the Obama campaign,” Tim Craig reports for The Washington Post. “The cameraman later followed Kaine to Henrico County, where he held a town-hall meeting for Obama. But campaign officials stress the ‘filming’ of Kaine has nothing to do with Obama’s choice of a running mate.

Hmm. Maybe Team Obama just wanted some home movies?

Of the two, Richardson makes the most sense for Obama. He has a much better resumé than Kaine, with plenty of Beltway and foreign-policy experience, which became a lot more valuable after Obama’s embarrassing performance during the Caucasus crisis. Richardson also has more executive experience than Kaine and presents a much higher readiness to assume the top spot in case something tragic happens, which is the most important consideration in a running mate.

A later announcement makes more sense, but one way or the other, we can expect it this week. It makes no sense at all to forego the media blitz that his announcement will create until the convention, when a media blitz can already be expected. Obama needs some lift after a summer in which he gave away his lead and has become defined by his inexperience and his arrogance.

A Thursday announcement would make the most strategic sense. Obama can own the Friday news cycle and cut off any attempt by McCain to grab attention before the start of the convention in Denver on Monday. It keeps the more in-depth, critical analysis on the weekend, and cuts it off with the start of the convention. Does that favor Kaine? Perhaps — but O Force One could easily get redirected to New Mexico for a prime-time announcement, or to Indiana, New York City, or just about anyplace Obama needs to go.

You know who would be the perfect pick for Obama in terms of style, message, everything?

Barney the dinosaur!

Think about it–it’s the “cuddly” change, Barney certainly doesn’t look like those guys on the money, and Barney’s approach to disputes is what Obama is preaching anyway–“can’t we all just get along?” “Let’s Hug!”

Both are equally gag inducing and both are hyped as the best thing ever for their respective audiencies. And both want you to treat them as your Savior…..

I guess the question is whether Obama is really running the Barney campaign.

He [Tim Kaine] graduated from Harvard Law School in 1983, and was admitted to the Virginia Bar. […] Kaine practiced law in Richmond for 17 years, specializing in representing people who had been denied housing opportunities because of their race or disability. He was recognized by local, state and national organizations for his fair housing advocacy.

It looks like Obama is just picking the white version of himself. “Pick your color. We have both.”

But, what I’m fearful of and hoping won’t happen is that he chooses Colin Powell.

I see Powell as just about his only remaining shot at getting elected. In essence, he’d be doubling down on black. A lot of people make the argument that they’d love to see a black president but just don’t like Obama. “I’d have voted for Colin Powell in a heartbeat”–just not Obama.

Earned or not, Powell probably commands deeper and broader respect with the vast majority of Americans on foreign policy than any other figure on the stage. And Obama would almost be daring anyone to vote against the both of them.

Hopefully, however, I think he’s to arrogant to do it. I think he hasn’t picked a nominee yet because he feels the adulation of the multitudes is his and his alone. What’s going to happen to the stolen-from-Horizon-Air-O logo when he has to graft on a sidekick?

So my guess is Biden too. He’s got cred but he’s also a little scuffed and worn. Barry can reach out a hand of forgiveness to Biden for his remark about Barry’s cleanliness, and there’s not much chance he’ll ever look like the little dog on the stage as he does next to Richardson, or have to worry about his running mate really stealing the spotlight.

From a conservative point of view I’m hoping for Kaine. While Richardson has some baggage I think he definitely helps ObamaNation by adding some legit foreign policy experience and maybe any fence sitting Hispanic voters. Besides Kaine is creepy looking and you can’t have a creepy looking veep.

Kaine is kinda–meh. Mark Warner, the previous governor, was really popular–left office with something like an 80% approval rating. If Obama picked Warner, that I could understand. Warner really did a lot for the state. But Kaine–I couldn’t really tell you much about what Kaine’s accomplished. To me, he’d be a lackluster choice. I don’t think Kaine would help Obama carry VA. Warner yes, Kaine no.

Dick Morris, who before Karl Rove came along was considered to be pretty sharp, says that if Obama (or more accurately, Obama’s speech writers) can prevent McCain from getting the same Hispanic support that Bush got, then Obama wins. That’s where Richardson or the Spanish-speaking Kaine come in. To help make that happen.